Lock and Load
by Everlude
Summary: If you have the guts to hold a gun, make sure you have the guts to pull the trigger.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I don't own One Piece. Jynx is mine though, and so are any other OCs that I create.

**Note:** This story is completely separate from, and has absolutely nothing to do with my other One Piece story, Conspiracy.

**Also Note:** In this chapter, and in future chapters, there will be characters with accents so there will be purposeful misspellings and grammar mistakes because of this.

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><p><strong>Lock and Load<strong>

If you have the guts to hold a gun, make sure you have the guts to pull the trigger.

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><p><strong>Chapter One<strong>

The sound of a gunshot echoed loudly as the faint scent of gunpowder drifted into the air. The man whom the bullet had flown past, missing his head by mere millimeters, collapsed to the ground in fear, his body shaking as he looked up at the woman who had shot at him. Her honey colored eyes glinted dangerously as she held the gun leveled at his head. Moments ticked by before she slowly retracted the arm holding the gun, and the man sighed in terrified relief as she pulled a cleaning rag out of her pocket and ran it down the barrel of the pistol.

"I would not be so relieved if I were you," she purred in her spanish accent, eyeing the man in annoyance. Weaklings like him who were all bark and no bite were disgusting in her eyes, undeserving of the very air they breathed. "You see," she explained slowly, as if to a child while setting the cleaning rag back down and stroking the gun thoughtfully, "next time, I won't miss."

Looking at the man out of the corner of her eye, she knew he understood her meaning as he began frantically digging in his pockets.

"Look Lady," he pleaded as he pulled a small black string bag out of his back pocket, "I've got yer money righ' here, so there's no need ta be sa hasty. A'ight?"

Jynx smiled a cold smile, making the man swallow nervously as he tossed the bag onto the counter with a satisfying jingle. Carefully placing the gun down, Jynx upended the bag onto the desk, looking over the money that spilled out from its mouth. When she was satisfied that all the money was there, she scooped it back into the bag, pulling its strings tight.

"Take your gun and get out of my sight. If any of your _amigos_ think of coming here, warn them that I don't appreciate customers who try to get service from me for free. Pirate or not, in my gun shop you pay or you die. Understand?" Jynx asked, looking down her nose at the man in front of her in contempt. He nodded quickly, stammering that he understood perfectly as he stood on shaky legs, retrieved his pistol from the desk, flinching under Jynx's sharp gaze, and booked it out the front door of the shop.

Sighing, Jynx sat down behind her desk, leaning back in the chair to prop her feet in their calf-high black leather boots on the top of her desk as she rubbed her temples in irritation. That filthy man didn't come close to deserving that gun, nor would he ever if she was any judge of character -which she was.

Pulling out her own pistol from its permanent spot in the holster hanging from the gun belt at her hip, Jynx leaned forward to grab the cleaning cloth from where she'd set it down earlier.

That pirate had been her last job, and it was only late afternoon.

Polishing the cold silver barrel of her pistol, Jynx wondered again why she ever even bothered with her gun shop. Nearly every customer she ever received was some stupid pirate whose ego was so large it's a wonder they managed to fit through the front door. Then whether they wanted their gun fixed, or to buy a new one entirely, almost always, they tried to take it without paying. Not that any of them had ever gotten away with that –they would all rather pay than die by the very gun they were supposed to pay for.

Giving up on polishing her gun which was already immaculately clean, Jynx returned it to its holster and got up, retrieving her latest payment in the black bag so she could go and place it in the safe she kept upstairs in her living quarters above the shop.

The safe, which held all of her savings from the past three years, was kept under her bed in a large oak box. Pulling out the box, Jynx opened it with a key that hung from a black leather strap around her next, and opened the safe using the combination.

Once her money was safely stashed away beneath her bed, Jynx stood up and stretched her supple limbs, debating whether it was even worth keeping the shop open the rest of the day. It was possible someone from town could come in, and there was still enough daylight left that a new ship might reach the port…

Even as she debated it, Jynx heard the bell attached to the front door of her shop tingle, letting her know someone had come. Make that three or four someones, loud ones at that –Jynx could hear their every word even though she was upstairs.

"What is this? There's not even anybody here," an arrogant voice complained.

"Somebody has to be here Kidd, the front door was unlocked, and you don't just leave the front door unlocked –especially in a gun shop."

Jynx allowed a smirk to grace her lips. At least one of her visitors seemed to be on top of things she thought as she descended the stairs. When she emerged into the front of her shop, the men's backs were to her as they continued to debate on what to do. There were three men in all, and even though she could only see the back of them, Jynx could tell they were dressed rather oddly.

The man farthest on the left had to be the second one who had spoken. His long blonde hair ran down his back, hiding most of his black shirt which was decorated with white polka dots. There seemed to be a sort of helmet or mask on his head with a blue and white striped pattern to it. Next to him was the first man who'd spoken. Jynx couldn't see anything of him other than his flaming red hair which stood up on his head and the large dark brown fur coat which covered his back completely. On his other side was a man with pale blue hair worn long in a shaggy style that resembled dread locks. He wore red pants and a dark blue bodice laced with red strings, and tattoos ran down his arms that resembled thorny vines.

Jynx would be a fool to not recognize the three men in her shop even from just seeing their backs since she made it a point to memorize the faces on all of the bounty posters the marines sent out, added to the fact that the blond haired man had called the man in the coat Kidd.

She had Eustass 'Captain' Kidd in her shop along with his first mate 'Massacre Man' Killer, and a third member of the crew whom she didn't know by name, but there was no mistaking that he was part of Kidd's crew.

"This is a gun smith Kidd, they could be out back in the forge for all we know," Killer said in a placating tone.

"Then why don't you go and check," Kidd growled. It was pretty obvious to Jynx that the captain wasn't in the best of moods. No matter, she could handle a foul tempered man in her sleep. Although, according to rumor, Kidd was more violent than most men, but Jynx felt there was more to him than that.

It took more than just being violent to be the captain of a crew in the grand line –if you wanted to go far that is.

"There'll be no need to go look since I'm right here," Jynx called out to the pirates, brushing a stray lock of her dark brown wavy hair, which had gotten caught on one of her gold hoop earrings, back behind her ear –most of her hair was secured back underneath a dark purple bandana with just a few bangs peeking out in front. She resisted the urge to smirk as all three of the pirates started in shock, and whirled around, instantly on guard. The one called Killer was in the process of activating the spinning blades attached to his wrist guards when Jynx held up a hand, signaling him to stop.

"I won't attack you as long as you don't attack me first, or make me angry 'Massacre Man' Killer." Jynx nodded in satisfaction as Killer lowered his arms slightly, the blades remaining still.

"You've heard of us then?" Kidd asked, drawing Jynx's attention momentarily. She graced his question with a nod before casually strolling across the floor towards her desk.

"In my line of work, it is never a bad idea to be familiar with the bounty faces Eustass 'Captain' Kidd," Jynx purred, turning around to face Kidd as she hopped up and sat on her desk. "Now, tell me, what brings you to my shop?"

The look on Kidd's face was priceless as her words registered in his head. No one ever expected the best gun smith -not to mention only gun smith- in town to be a woman. Many times people thought she was joking and would ask for the boss or her husband, assuming that she was nothing more than a counter girl.

Jynx had long passed the point of being irked by something like that though, and instead found entertainment in the different ways people reacted to the information.

"You're the gun smith?" he asked slowly, as if not completely sure he'd heard her right. Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Jynx nodded. She watched in amusement as a confused frown settled onto Kidd's face. "You? Do you even have any skill with a gun?" Somewhat surprised by the question, Jynx nodded.

"My shop is located here for a reason –there's a shooting range out behind the forge if you're interested in a demonstration." The frown on Kidd's face slowly turned upside down into an interested smile. Before he even opened his mouth, the slight change in his body posture gave Jynx her answer.

"Heh, let's see what you can do. I don't want any amateur touching my pistol." Nodding serenely, Jynx hopped down off her desk, indicating the three pirates should follow her. She had enough bullets in her belt pouch for a demonstration and would still have more left over, like always –a gun was no good if you were out of bullets after all.

*%%*

Jynx's shooting range was nothing fancy –a clear area with dirt mounds, targets, and crates to set objects on to shoot at- but it functioned well enough for her and anyone that wanted to test out one of her guns or the work she'd done on one of theirs. She'd debated on the walk out to the shooting range what would be the best way to demonstrate her skills with a gun, and had decided to place small, apple sized wooden blocks of different colors on the scattered crates to shoot at.

It had only taken her a few minutes to setup, and now she was standing at the shooting line with the Kidd pirates just behind her, watching on.

"So you'll be shooting at those small blocks?" Killer asked curiously, noting the varying positions they were all in. The closest was about fifteen feet away on an average sized crate while the farthest he estimated was nearly a hundred feet away on a short crate. Jynx nodded as she loaded the chamber of her pistol, checking to make sure everything was ready to go.

"Would any of you like to call block colors or shall I just shoot at will?" Jynx inquired, placing her pistol on safety and putting it in her holster. She didn't bother to turn back; if her instincts were right then-

"Red!" In a single fluid movement, Jynx drew her pistol, released the safety, and pulled the trigger. Almost instantaneously the red block flew off its crate with a sharp crack. Before the sound of the gunshot faded completely, Kidd called another color. "Blue!" Not even blinking, Jynx had the blue block flying off a crate in the back almost before the word died from Kidd's lips. This pattern repeated itself eight more times until the final block was sent flying –Jynx hadn't missed a single one.

"Heh, you pass. You're certainly better than I originally thought," Kidd commented, turning back towards her shop. "I don't think I ever caught your name." Pistol back in its holster, Jynx walked passed Kidd. From the corner of her eye, she caught a look at his face, and knew he was more impressed than he was willing to let on.

"My name is Jynx."

"Jynx huh? Where'd you learn to shoot a gun like that?" Jynx could hear the curiosity in his voice, and felt her pride being stoked. After the idiot she'd dealt with earlier, she'd have never thought this day would turn out well, but Kidd was proving her wrong.

"My papá was a gun smith before me. He taught me everything I know," Jynx explained as they reentered her shop, her eyes shining proudly. In his lifetime, her father had been one of the most renowned gun smiths in the first half of the grandline. Now, she considered it the greatest honor to his life and memory to continue on in his footsteps using the knowledge he had so patiently and lovingly taught her. "Compared to him I'm still a novice in every possible aspect."

Kidd let out a soft grunt. In her short demonstration the girl had already proved herself to be far better than any of the marksmen he had come across since setting sail as a pirate back in the South Blue. Even on the two islands of the grandline his crew had already been to there hadn't been anyone with that kind of skill, at least not that he'd seen, but supposedly the grandline was a place where people like her were supposed to be everywhere.

"Now, you were saying something about your pistol, no?" Jynx purred. Kidd could feel her eyes on his pistol which he kept strapped to his chest on a bandolier along with his dagger. "May I see it?" she asked, holding out a hand towards him. Letting out a soft 'tch', Kidd pulled out his gun and handed it to her.

Hefting the gun, Jynx checked the chamber for bullets, and removed the two that she found. Only an amateur would inspect a loaded gun for problems, there was too much risk of the gun accidentally going off and injuring the person. Setting the bullets down on her desk, Jynx systematically went through all the mechanics of the gun.

"Have you been having any… problems, or is this more of a routine check?" she asked, looking down the inside of the barrel to make sure nothing was blocking it. She could feel the eyes of the three men on her, but ignored it as she was used to being watched while doing her work.

"The trigger started sticking," Kidd complained, eyes narrowing in annoyance. The stupid thing had kept him from easily killing several people with its new little habit of catching. Going back to the trigger, Jynx tried it a few times, nodding and muttering softly under her breath. She'd have to pull the gun apart to fix it, but the job wouldn't be very hard.

Looking up from the gun to the pirate captain, Jynx nodded thoughtfully. "I can fix the trigger, but it will take a few hours since I would have to pull the gun apart. If you came back at sunset I could have it done -if you'd like me to fix your gun that is." Kidd nodded, he wouldn't have bothered hunting down a gun shop if he hadn't planned on getting his gun fixed.

"What's it going to cost?"

Jynx thought about it for a moment. The job wasn't a hard one to be sure even if it took a few hours to pull the gun apart and clean up all the parts to get it working smoothly again.

"You're looking between three and four thousand beli. It all depends on whether I have to replace a part or not," Jynx proffered, waiting to see what Kidd thought. Some customers would try and haggle her down to a ridiculously low price, not that she ever let them. Surprisingly though, Kidd just nodded. After all, to him the price seemed fair enough.

"Killer."

Jynx turned her attention to the masked man who approached her, pulling 4000 beli out of his pocket to hand to her. Nodding, Jynx accepted the money, placing it in the pocket of her loose gray pants. It was always nice when a customer paid ahead of time instead of when they came to pick up their gun.

"We'll be back at sunset, so you'd better have my pistol ready then," Kidd ordered, turning and walking off with his two crew members in tow. Jynx impressed him –somehow he just knew that she'd stick to what she said without any threatening on his part, so he might as well go and enjoy himself instead of sitting around being bored and wasting his time. Still, he made sure to slam the door shut behind him –he couldn't have his image going to ruin just because he'd found someone who actually dealt fairly with a bunch of pirates.

"You seem to be in a better mood," Killer commented from his left as they walked down the streets of the town. He honestly hadn't been having a very great day thanks to Kidd's earlier foul temper. He wasn't sure just what the gun smith girl had done, but if Kidd's good mood kept up he might just slip her a couple extra hundred beli when they went back to get his gun...maybe not though. He was a Kidd pirate after all, and Kidd pirates didn't do things like slipping an extra hundred beli to a gun smith, but still, with the way Kidd had been acting the past few days he might just do it anyway.

Kidd just let out a grunt. He knew Killer was sick of his temper –all of his crew was, but the past few days out at sea had been so boring that he couldn't help but be in a foul mood. Of course, most of the rest of his crew hadn't been in the best of moods either. Peace and quiet just didn't suit them well –they needed action, and sparring against each other only helped to keep the worst edge of the boredom away.

"What are we going to do now Boss Kidd?" Kidd didn't even bother glancing over at Pierce who had spoken. The stitch covered man functioned as Kidd's second mate even though at the moment he could manage with just Killer. Kidd knew his crew would need to grow larger, so rather than deal with it later, he'd put Pierce in a position where he unofficially was second mate so that when his crew grew large enough that he really needed a second mate the transfer from unofficial to official would go over smoothly.

"Let's see what this town's got in the way of entertainment," Kidd replied, a dangerous grin on his face. He was really hoping that someone would get on his bad side so he could start a ruckus of some sort.

*%%*

Taking a break from working on Kidd's gun, Jynx stood up and stretched. The flintlock was an interesting piece of work. She'd heard of a new model that was invented in the South Blue, but it was her first time seeing one up close and personal. It wasn't much different from its cousins other than the fact that it could hold a few extra bullets and used a slightly longer barrel by about an inch and a half than the standard kind.

Pulling a root beer out from the ice chest she kept near her work table in the back of the shop, Jynx popped the top off the glass bottle and took a swig. The cool liquid felt nice against her dry throat. Placing the bottle down on the table away from Kidd's gun, she looked at the firearm consideringly.

Finding what was making the trigger stick had been easy enough –the bottom of the flint arm which was located down in the fire grate wasn't able to move properly because of a buildup of debris within the fire grate. It happened a lot, and was no trouble to deal with. She did have to replace the flint arm though since it had taken some damage.

Now, she was taking her time to give the gun a thorough cleaning which she was almost done with before she put it all back together. She wanted a chance to go test it out back before Kidd came back. It was against her policy to give an untested gun back to a customer just in case something went wrong.

Sitting back down on the stool at her work table, Jynx got back to work, wiping down and greasing all the different parts. She'd have to work quickly since sunset was only an hour or two away.

When she put the last piece back in place, Jynx hefted the gun, making sure it felt right, letting out a satisfied 'hmm' when it did. Setting the pistol back down, Jynx washed her hands off and retrieved a fresh cleaning rag along with a container of polish.

Taking the gun in hand again, Jynx set about shining it up and wiping away any blemishes. A good gun deserved to shine after all. Humming to herself while she worked, Jynx was soon finished, and smiled in satisfaction at the final product of her few hours of work.

Kidd's gun looked like new, so now it was time to see if it shot like it was brand new.

Going out to her desk in the front of the shop, Jynx opened up one of the drawers and pulled out a new box of ammunition, checking to make sure it was the right kind. As long as Kidd didn't come early, she'd have a few minutes to test the gun and make sure everything was working correctly.

The tinkling of the bell above her door drew Jynx's attention as she loaded the pistol's chamber.

"Hold it righ' thar Lady," a sneering voice called out, accompanied by the click of several guns being pulled back to full cock. Glancing up, Jynx's eyes narrowed –the filth from earlier had returned, and this times his little amigos had decided to tag along.

"What do you want?" Jynx asked, already having a good idea of what the answer would be. This wasn't exactly the first time something like this had happened.

"We wants our money back, and any udder cash yeh migh' have on ya," the man who spoken earlier called out. Jynx had thought the man earlier was filthy, but this man made him look clean with his disastrous clothes and unshaven face. By the way all the other men were arranged around him though, she guessed he was probably the captain of this shabby bunch.

The Kidd pirates would be coming back soon so she didn't have the time to deal with these fools. "I'm afraid you're mistaken. This shop doesn't deal in refunds, so unless you want to pay for a service or a new gun, get out," Jynx drawled, her tone laced with a dangerous implications as she placed the final bullet into Kidd's gun with a satisfying click.

The sound drew the man's attention and he spat on the floor. "Drop da gun Lady or we's gonna half ta fill ya up wid lead, and we's genteelmen like, so we's don' wanna be shootin' no ladies ya hear?" His voice was distinctly slurred, and Jynx's nose wrinkled in disgust.

She could see out the front door that one of the men was holding open that the sun hadn't quite finished setting, and he was already drunk? What a pathetic excuse for a man, let alone a captain. "I don' have time to deal with you fools. Leave now while I'm still in a good mood," Jynx replied, done with this entire situation.

"I dun think ya gets it Lady –we's the ones pointin' our guns at ya, so we'll be da ones doin' da orderin' aroun', not yous. Now, put down dat gun ya got dere, and give us back our money." Staring calmly down the barrel of the man's gun, Jynx didn't feel worried at all.

"Shoot me."

"Wha? Lady, are yous crazies or somedin?"

Jynx resisted the urge to roll her eyes and let out a laugh. If anyone here was crazy, it was them, not her. Anybody around town could have told them not to mess with her, and she'd even dealt with one of them earlier. "_Why do I have to deal with you idiots?_" Jynx wondered out loud, glancing around the room in annoyance.

"Hey Lady, no speakin' in dem fancy-like foreign languiges. Us norma' folk can' undastan' when yous talks all fancy like dat. Speak so's we can undastan' ya."

"You really are an idiot. I told you to shoot me, so why haven' you?" Jynx challenged, eyes glinting dangerously as she stared the man down, ignoring his annoyance at the fact that she'd spoken in Spanish.

"I can' do dat! Yous hasn' tol' us where yous stashed da money yet!"

Jynx let out a silent sigh. "Is that so? Then I suppose you'll be the one dying instead of me." Before any of the men could react, Jynx had brought Kidd's gun up, cocked it back, and pulled the trigger. Blood spattered onto the ground and the men around him as her nameless opponent fell to the ground, eyes wide in the surprise of death.

"Cap'in!" the other men shouted in shock and terror. They all instantly fell silent at the ominous sound of Kidd's gun being cocked again.

"Looks like your gun is working just fine now, Kidd."

A booming laugh from behind the men made them flinch in terror. Several of them turned around to face the new threat, only to visibly pale at the sight of Eustass 'Captain' Kidd and several of his crew behind him standing in the open doorway.

"I'd have to say so Killer," Kidd laughed, sparring a short glance at the dead man on the floor before looking up to meet eyes with Jynx who nodded at him in acknowledgement.

Kidd loved the feeling of terror radiating of the pathetic men in front of him –even if he wasn't the original or only cause of their terror. Although, at the same time they were so pathetic that they were starting to tick him off.

"Give me a minute to deal with these pests, and we can settle our business," Jynx called out softly, shifting her eyes to glare at the remaining men who were for the most part shaking visibly in fear.

"So, who's next?" Jynx purred, leveling Kidd's gun and slowly moving it from man to man, each one gulping nervously as the gun went passed him. "How about you?" she asked, coming to stop on the man who had been in her shop earlier.

"I already warned you once today –unfortunately it looks like you weren' smart enough to stay away." Pulling Kidd's gun back to full cock with a loud click, Jynx looked down the barrel of the gun at the man in annoyance. "Well, are you going to try and defend yourself or do I just kill you now?"

The man fumbled with his gun, his hands shaking so badly he could barely even hold onto it. Even with his life in danger and his finger on the trigger, he couldn't pull it as he met Jynx's hard gaze.

"No?" Jynx asked softly, teasingly, as if she was just toying with him –which she was. "Pity. You know, if you're going to wield a gun, you need the guts to pull the trigger when it counts. Just. Like. This."

Jynx watched the man's eyes fill with terror as she slowly spoke the last three words, but even then his finger remained stationary as hers pulled back on the trigger ending his life with a single shot. Turning even as the man slumped to the ground, Jynx glared at the rest of the men who were cowering in fear.

"I hate cowards, but none of you have personally provoked me. I'll give you to the count of five to be out of my sight, but if you're not, or I ever lay my eyes on you again-"

Jynx didn't even get to finish her sentence as the men scrambled up off the floor and ran passed the Kidd pirates who let them by, not bothering to waste their time or effort on a bunch of weaklings.

"Sorry about all that," Jynx said as the last one slipped out the door passed Kidd whom she now turned her attention to. The wide grin on his face caught her slightly off guard, but she supposed unlike the men who had just run off, he was a real pirate –one who could actually kill, so he might have enjoyed what he'd just seen.

The rest of the Kidd pirates that were there filed into the shop, kicking the two dead bodies out of their way. Several of them were eyeing Jynx with interest –it wasn't often they came across someone, let alone a girl, who would kill like that.

"Heh, that was a neat little show you just put on," Kidd said as he watched Jynx run a cleaning rag down the barrel of his gun. When he'd reached the shop and seen the group of scraggly men gathered inside, and realized what was going on he hadn't been sure what to expect, but Jynx had easily surpassed any expectations he might have had.

"_Gracias_, or at least I believe that was meant as a compliment," Jynx said as she held out Kidd's gun for him to take. Those two shots had been more than enough for her to tell that it would function just fine.

Grinning even wider, if that was even possible, Kidd slipped the gun into its place on his bandolier, glad to have the familiar feeling of its weight and form again. He'd seen with his own eyes that it was working perfectly, and was honestly more interested in the girl in front of him at the moment like the rest of his crew.

Taking in her appearance from her black leather boots and loose fitting gray pants to her dark purple bandana that matched her corset top which she wore over a coarse long-sleeved off white shirt to the golden sash around her waist over which she wore a gun belt, Kidd nodded slightly in approval as he looked into her honey colored eyes and saw the will power that resided there.

He could tell by the way his crew was observing her that they were interested too, and even if they weren't, he'd already made up his mind so it didn't really matter what they thought. Jynx definitely possessed the skill, the attitude, and the determination to be an asset to him; plus, her style of dress would fit in just fine as well. Heck, even her name would work.

"Oi Jynx, you're joining my crew."

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><p>Well, there's chapter one for you.<p>

I hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it. =)

Reviews are awesome, and I love reading them, so make sure to leave one before you go.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I don't own One Piece. Jynx is mine though, and so are any other OCs that I create.

**Note:** This story is completely separate from, and has absolutely nothing to do with my other One Piece story, Conspiracy.

**Also Note:** This story has characters with accents which means there will be purposeful misspellings and grammar mistakes.

**Thank you:** Pokepika's Haunt, Hailey4356, Emileighterrange, and Henna89 for the amazing reviews on chapter one. Also, thanks to the many of you that favorited and alerted this story.

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><p><strong>This is super important!<strong> I went back and made a few changes to chapter one. You don't have to go reread it, but you do need to know that** I changed Grim's name to Pierce.** I came across the name Pierce after posting the first chapter and felt like it fit better, so sorry if this causes any confusion.**  
><strong>

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><p><strong>Lock and Load<strong>

If you have the guts to hold a gun, make sure you have the guts to pull the trigger.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Two<strong>

The silence in the gun shop hung heavy in the air as Jynx narrowed her eyes at Kidd threateningly. Several tense seconds of silence passed before she spoke, her words harsh with conviction.

"And just what makes you think I would do a thing like that?"

Kidd grinned. He liked level headed people, and her question had proved to him yet again that she was just that. "Why not?" he asked rhetorically, sweeping his arm in a grand gesture around the room. "This place is too small for someone of your skill, so why not follow me and rampage around the world making use of your talent?"

A dangerous smirk played on Jynx's lips as she eyed Kidd consideringly. "For a pirate, you can be very well spoken -a nice change from my usual line of customers. Words are simply that though –words. You aren' the first well spoken man through my doors, nor are you the first to ask me to join their crew. So, tell me, why shouldn' I turn you down like I've done to all the others?"

At her words, Kidd let out a loud laugh, throwing his head back as he spread his arms wide. "Because unlike those other scum I'm going to the very top –you're looking at the future Pirate King!" Tilting her head lightly, Jynx let out a soft 'hmm'. Kidd certainly had the aura of a leader, but did he really think he could make it all the way? If she joined his crew could he take her to the final seas –the seas her papá had told her stories of as a young girl?

"Can you do it?" Jynx asked softly, her words cutting straight through Kidd's laughter, causing him to fall silent and stare at her. "You're not even halfway through the first half of the grandline. Do you really believe you can make it to the red line, and continue to survive beyond it in the final seas?"

The grin that had disappeared from Kidd's face with her original question slowly grew back as his eyes flashed with interest. "Can I do it? Hah! Let me tell you something -failure doesn't exist in my world. I will find One Piece and become the Pirate King –not even death will stop me because I refuse to die before I get there and for a long time after that as well!"

Letting out a soft chuckle, Jynx watched as Kidd's eyes narrowed dangerously. He certainly was a prideful man.

"Don' get me wrong, I'm not laughing at you. I just find it amusing that you can be so confident." Turning, Jynx strolled over to one of the gun cases lining the room, staring at her reflection in the glass thoughtfully. "It makes me wonder, is this confidence foolishness because you are an untried rookie, or do you have the power to back up your words?"

A moment passed before a soft clanking noise reached her ears. Frowning, Jynx noticed the guns in the case vibrating as her own pistol at her hip felt like it was being tugged on. "I have more power than you think," Kidd spoke dangerously from behind her. Slowly turning, Jynx was met by hard eyes as purple sparks seemed to fly around Kidd's body. "All I have to do is put an ounce more effort in, and every metallic thing in this store will rush towards me whether you want it to or not."

"So you're a devil fruit user then?" Jynx replied calmly, taking the situation in stride. She'd met several devil fruit users in the past, so the idea of their power and strangeness wasn't lost upon her. "From what you've said I'm assuming you're a paramecia type, and your powers deal with magnetics, no?"

With nothing more than a narrowing of his eyes, Kidd released his powers, the purple sparks disappearing. The girl was impossible to intimidate –yet another reason for her to join his crew since he wanted subordinates who could face any challenge head on without getting scared and running off. The question was, how to get her to agree to join?

"Your proposition is an interesting one," Jynx purred, interrupting Kidd's train of thought. "The log post on this island takes three days to set," she said, holding up her fingers to emphasize her point. "If you can convince me that it will be worth my while to join your crew before your log post sets, I'll come with you. If not-"Jynx paused, giving Kidd a deadly glare as she slowly pulled her pistol out and leveled it at his head, "your life will be forfeit."

Kidd tensed, a frown on his face as next to him Killer and Pierce fell into fighting positions and the rest of his crew reached for their weapons. "If you cannot even manage such a small task with your life on the line there is no way you would survive farther on anyways," Jynx continued seriously. "After all, to be a pirate is to gamble your life everyday is it not? I will only follow a person who can succeed when their life is on the line. Otherwise, I would merely be following them to my death."

Gritting his teeth, Kidd thought about what she had said for a moment, letting the meaning of the words become clear. Gradually, the frown on his face turned into a smirk and finally a grin. She was testing him, or more accurately his abilities as a captain.

Well, Kidd wasn't one for losing, and in three days' time or less he would make Jynx see that and join his crew.

"Ha, you have yourself a deal!" Kidd said, turning sharply and heading for the front door. "Mark my words, you'll be calling me Captain by the time the log post sets."

"We will see about that Eustass Kidd," Jynx replied with a smirk as she watched his crew file out the door behind him. Her eyebrows raised in surprise as Killer hung back.

"I don't know what you're thinking, but I won't let you kill Kidd," the masked man threatened, walking up to her. Jynx had to look up at him as the top of her head barely cleared his chin. Because of his mask, she couldn't see his eyes, but she could feel his hard gaze on her all the same.

"Well then, you only have two choices," she purred, returning her pistol to its holder. "Either you make sure your captain succeeds, or at the end of three days you give your life in place of his." A harsh silence fell on the two of them as Jynx watched Killer turning her words over in his head.

"Kidd won't fail –I chose to follow him for a reason. And if things ever came to worst I would give my life if it would save his," Killer responded after several seconds. Blinking in surprise, Jynx smirked. Often she had heard that a first mate was a good reflection of what the captain was like. It made her wish she could see passed the mask to Killer's expression.

"Then I will wish you _buena suerte_, good luck." The sound of Kidd calling Killer's name from outside drew a chuckle from her. "You should go. I don' see Kidd as the most patient person." Giving her the slightest of nods, Killer headed for the front door where Pierce was waiting.

"Killer," Jynx called after him, making the masked man stop and glance over his shoulder, "I will give you fair warning –I'm a very stubborn person." Killer let out a hmph.

"You can't be as bad as Kidd."

Without another word, Killer was out the front door with Pierce at his side. Down the street Kidd was waiting with a scowl on his face, and Killer vowed to himself then and there to convince Jynx to join them. Like Kidd, he had realized the reason for her challenge, and actually admired her for it. Not many people would stand up to Kidd like that, let alone a woman -she really would make a good addition to the crew.

*%%*

Jynx could feel Killer's gaze on her back as she collected the money from her most recent client. The poor man couldn't seem to get out of the shop fast enough to escape the presence of the first mate of the Kidd Pirates.

"At this rate you'll scare away all my customers," Jynx commented dryly as she sat down in the chair behind her desk to fill out some papers. It was already early evening of the second day of her bet with Kidd. For two days straight Killer had spent most of the day with her, observing her and occasionally talking with her. Several times Kidd had stopped by, but it seemed he trusted that Killer would convince her so he didn't practically take up residence in her shop like the masked man had.

"After tomorrow that won't matter anymore, so why be bothered about it?" Killer replied, pushing off against the wall to walk forward and look over Jynx's shoulder at the papers she was filling out.

"You forget that I still haven't said yes," Jynx replied as she glanced over the papers and filled in a few things here and there.

"You will." The confident statement didn't both Jynx much as she'd quickly gotten used to such words coming from Killer over the past forty-eight hours. Rolling her eyes, she gathered up the papers on her desk, paper clipped them together, and placed them in the top drawer of her desk. "Are you going to close up shop now?" Killer asked. Glancing over her shoulder, Jynx nodded at him.

"I doubt that I will see any more customers today." Pocketing her profits, Jynx proceed to walk around the room checking all the locks on the different gun cabinets to make sure they were secure before locking the front door. "I assume you'll be leaving to go to the inn soon?"

When Killer made no response, Jynx turned around, surprised when he was standing there silently, staring at her. Or at least she assumed he was staring at her. "Killer?" Jynx asked softly, booted feet padding softly against the floor as she walked up to him. Killer wasn't the most verbose man as she'd learned, but this was just odd.

"You're coming with me," he finally responded after a minute. Jynx's eyes narrowed.

"And where do you think I'm going?" Her hand floated down to the holster of her gun.

Killer let out a sigh. "To the inn. I figure it would be good for you to eat dinner with the crew and become familiar with them rather than eat here by yourself."

Retracting her hand from where it hovered near her gun, Jynx let out a dry chuckle. "Again it seems you've forgotten that I've yet to say yes, so why should I bother to familiarize myself with a crew that I might not even join?" Strolling passed Killer, Jynx went to take her leave to her quarters upstairs, but was stopped as Killer threw out an arm blocking her path. Rolling her eyes, Jynx easily slipped under his outstretched appendage.

"Why would I want to spend an evening with drunken men?"

"Because it's an opportunity to see Kidd other than when he stops by here and form a more complete opinion of him. Besides, not all of us get drunk," Killer responded, reaching out and catching Jynx's shoulder with his strong fingers. She could feel his metal wrist and hand guard resting lightly against her and wondered why he never bothered to take them off.

Turning around to face him full on, Jynx looked at him consideringly. He had a point, a rather good one at that –seeing Kidd in a place where she would often see him if she joined his crew and the way he acted there was actually a very good idea. "Hmm," she intoned softly, biting the corner of her lip. "I suppose I could join you. Give me a few minutes to finish up a few things and we can go."

Letting his hand fall from her shoulder, Killer nodded. Spending the majority of the last two days at the gun shop had produced few results, so he figured getting Jynx out of the shop might help. He might have just been wrong when he'd said she couldn't be as stubborn as Kidd. In all honesty, most rocks were probably softer and less stubborn than her.

True to her word, just a few minutes later Jynx was ready to go, and the two found themselves walking down the town streets towards the inn in companionable silence.

"Why –why do you try so hard for Kidd?" Jynx asked quietly, breaking the silence between them as the inn came into sight. Killer thought for a moment before responding. It wasn't a question he had expected her to ask.

"He is the Captain. There are few men in this world that I would allow myself to follow, but Kidd is one of them. If the Captain loses I lose, if he wins I win. It's as simple as that." Jynx nodded letting out a thoughtful 'hmm'. Truly, the Kidd pirates were doing a better job of convincing her than any crew before them. Kidd's trust in Killer to convince her, and Killer's loyalty to Kidd really impressed her. On the outside they looked like a no nonsense crew with a rigid system of hierarchy, which they were, but underneath that was something more. A trust or sense of loyalty that was so strong it seemed to have its own thrum of life.

Of course, not all the members exhibited this aura although they all had at least some sort of respect towards Kidd. His reign through respect and loyalty rather than fear despite his appearances and reputation for violence had stolen her interest almost immediately. As they walked through the inn's front door which opened onto the lower level which functioned as a bar, Jynx found herself feeling almost excited to see how things would go.

"Looks like the crew is over there," Killer said quietly, drawing Jynx's attention as he nodded his head towards the tables in the dim light of the far corner. Sure enough, it was easy to spot Kidd with his bright red hair as he set down a tankard. Catching sight of them, he threw them a grin and with a quick jerk of his head, indicated that they should come join him.

"You go ahead," Jynx said softly, lightly touching Killer's upper arm with her fingers. "I'm going to go pick up a drink from the bar first, then I'll join you." Receiving a nod from the masked man, Jynx softly slipped passed him and threaded her way through the mess of people, tables, and chairs to the bar. She waited a minute for the bartender to become free, and when he came over to her a large grin was on his face.

"Hey thar, if it ain't Jynx. Haven't seen you 'round har in a while now. Wha' brings ya to thaw Golden Goblet ternite? Ya came in with tha' masked fella didn't ya? He's a pirate tha' un."

Smiling serenely, Jynx let out a chuckle. "I'm well aware of his being a pirate Jilgo. His captain is the man in the large fur coat with the red hair, and he's trying to recruit me for his crew." Jilgo threw back his head and let out a deep, rumbling laugh.

"Yarharhar! Ya got anuther un after ya now do yeh? I suppose he'll be dea' within a day uh two than. In thaw tree years I's known ya ain't nobody tha's survived tha' little ole challenge uh yours." Smirking, Jynx allowed herself a shrug which caught Jilgo's eye almost instantly. "Naw wai' a minute har. Ya's nevar shrugged like tha' afore. Don' go a tellin' mae they's actually got you thinkin' 'bout joinin' 'em." Jynx merely shrugged again as Jilgo narrowed his eyes.

She could feel that Jilgo wasn't the only one staring at her as she felt two pairs of eyes on her back. Without turning she knew it must be Kidd and Killer. "One Summer Ale minus the spike Jilgo." Watching as Jilgo gave her a hard, considering look before turning away to make the drink, Jynx knew he'd be keeping a close eye on her and the Kidd Pirates all night long.

When Jilgo slid the tankard across the counter to her, she gave him a friendly smile to which he grunted. "If ya goes with 'em make sure ta come an' say good-bye afore ya go." Taking her tankard, Jynx placed a few beli on the counter in its place.

"I wouldn' dream of doing anything less."

"So ya really ar' serious like abou' these fellas," Jilgo said, eyes widening slightly. Taking a sip from her tankard, Jynx swished the refreshingly sweet ale around in her mouth for a moment before swallowing and smirking mysteriously at the amazed bartender.

"Perhaps."

Without another word, Jynx turned and began making her way across the floor to the Kidd Pirates as Jilgo was summoned away by another customer who needed a refill.

The booth in the corner Kidd was sitting at contained him, Killer, the man who had been with them the first time they'd walked into her shop whom she'd learned was called Pierce, and another man who she had seen before, but never talked to. He was dressed in a black cloak with leather mini shorts and a fish net top. The only spot open was on the end next to Killer, so Jynx smoothly slipped in next to him, nodding a greeting to Kidd and the others.

"Heh, you could have grabbed a quick tankard on your way over like Killer, so why'd you bother making a trip to the bar?" Kidd asked coolly. Taking another sip of her Summer Ale, Jynx set about to nursing it with her hands, a small smirk on her face.

"I was in the mood for something special, so I went and asked Jilgo to make it for me. Is there anything wrong with that?" Looking up from her drink to Kidd, Jynx raised an eyebrow in question. In response he let out a quiet 'tch'.

"What's so special about your drink?" asked the man Jynx didn't know. "Name's Salem by the way." Nodding in acknowledgement, Jynx considered whether to answer his question or not, finally deciding she might as well.

"This drink," she said slowly as she tilted the tankard slightly to look at the dark purple liquid inside, "is one that I taught Jilgo to make. It's a popular drink from my native island called Summer Ale. It's very sweet and tart."

There was silence for a moment before several questions were thrown her way all at once.

"What's in it?"

"Where's your native island?"

"What's your native island like?"

Laughing, Jynx felt herself relaxing as she began answering the questions one by one. She hadn't expected the pirates to be so curious about what seemed like rather trivial matters. Even though Kidd wasn't one of the ones to ask a question, she knew he was listening carefully to everything she said.

"My native island is an autumn island found in another part of the grandline by the name of Fairinly. Summer Ale is a drink that is often made in the summer -hence the name, for parties and such using grape juice, cola, fruit extracts, and sugar."

Her answers satisfied the pirates for a few minutes as they broke into side conversations while she sipped on her drink contentedly. It had been a while since she'd spent a night at the bar, so she enjoyed looking across the dimly lit room to watch what was going on and to see who was there.

"So how come you're here and not back on your native island?" Slowly turning her head, Jynx was met by Kidd's curious gaze as he took a drink from his tankard. She noticed that next to her Killer had tensed slightly, obviously listening in while Pierce and Salem continued on with their own little conversation, although somewhat quieter than before.

Swirling her drink around, Jynx took a slow draught of it. The story for her being there wasn't something she spoke about often –not that it was a secret or anything similar, it's just not something she did.

"That is not a story I often share," she spoke softly, staring at her tankard thoughtfully. "Perhaps, if you can convince me to join your crew, I will tell it to you someday." Looking up at Kidd she frowned. "I'm not much in the mood for telling stories right now."

Kidd looked disappointed for a moment before grinning again. "Well, I'll hear it from you eventually, so I suppose it's alright." Jynx chuckled quietly. He was still so sure that he'd have her agreeing to join her crew before sunset tomorrow.

Glancing around the booth discreetly, Jynx realized it wouldn't be so bad to go with these pirates. The past few hours had been more fun than she'd had in a long time, and as the night had worn on, most of the booths occupants had switched places except for Kidd, so she now found herself sitting on the opposite side of the booth from where she'd originally sat down, currently putting her between Kidd and Killer.

"Are you glad you came now?" the masked man asked quietly so only she could hear. Jynx allowed a slight nod of her head. The next thing she knew, Kidd's elbow banged into her side, knocking her into Killer. Turning to ask him what his problem was, Jynx noticed his hand on his dagger and a harsh glare on his face.

Following the line of his glare, Jynx spotted a group of men a few tables over. If she remembered right, they'd only arrived about half an hour earlier. From their looks, she could easily label them as pirates, and the one who appeared to be the captain was glaring a Kidd.

"You have a problem with me?" Kidd growled, rising slightly from his seat. On her other side, Killer was shifting slightly so that he'd easily be able to leap over the table if the need occurred.

Sniffing, the other man stood up, sweeping a dark green cloak behind him as he did so. "I believe I do. I thought I recognized your ugly mug 'Captain' Kidd. I'm a veteran of these seas by the name of Captain Zanar of the Gale Pirates, and I've been wanting to run into a impudent rookie like yourself so I can put you in your rightful place. I'm tired of hearing nothing but news about you big upstarts fresh out of the blues!"

Feeling her tankard begin to tremble, Jynx grasped it firmly having a good guess of what was about to happen. This night had certainly taken a turn on its head in the matter of a few moments.

"HA!" Kidd laughed loudly. The entire bar had fallen silent and was watching the exchange with mixed reactions. "If anyone's going to be put in their place it's you!" Without warning, purple sparks appeared around Kidd's body as metal objects started flying towards him rapidly. Even though Jynx had imagined it in her head, the actual sight was something else.

As several guns flew towards him, Kidd stopped them with a single hand, repelling them towards Zanar, setting them off with a succession of resulting bangs. Several of Zanar's men fell from their chairs wounded as shouting broke out from the rest of the bar's occupants who quickly began running for the door or a place to hide and take cover.

Relaxing back into the booth, Jynx kept a watchful eye out to make sure nothing came her way while she enjoyed the show. Killer, Pierce, and Salem had all jumped to their feet and joined into the ensuing fray of fighting that came after Kidd's initial attack.

Throughout the fight Jynx could feel a dangerous smile playing on her lips. She had to admit she liked the way the Kidd pirates fought with no mercy. If their opponents somehow managed to survive it would be a miracle. Once during the brawl, Jynx had to slide over to avoid a random butchers knife and again later because of a few tankards, but for the most part being in the corner behind Kidd kept her safe since he repelled pretty much anything that came in her general direction since that also meant it was coming towards him.

Of all the fights going on, Kidd's was one of the most entertaining to watch. Zanar having lost his weapon to Kidd's magnetism long ago had switched to throwing nonmetallic items such as chairs at Kidd which were easily knocked out of the way or dodged and then switched again to hand to hand combat which went even worse for the poor man.

With Kidd's devil fruit it was extremely hard for Zanar to get anywhere near him. From her seat, Jynx noticed something though. Kidd's power was great for mid to long range fighting, but if anyone did manage to get close to him, his powers wouldn't do him much good. Thinking about it for a minute, Jynx realized that was probably why even with the powers of a devil fruit he carried a pistol and dagger –for just in case anyone got in too close for his powers to be effective.

Jynx allowed a grin to appear on her face. For a devil fruit user to keep weapons on his person because he knew the weakness of his own powers wasn't very common. Most fruit users were so confident in their powers that they considered weapons to be useless. Kidd though, even with his pride, had apparently come to the conclusion that it was better to be prepared than be left vulnerable. By carrying his pistol and dagger he was admitting that he knew his devil fruit wasn't all powerful.

Inside, Jynx felt a growing respect for the pirate captain. To know and admit to one's weaknesses, and then to actually do something about them showed great intelligence and strength as a person.

Watching as Kidd took several strides forward, Jynx knew instinctively that he was done with the rather pathetic excuse for a fight Zanar was putting up, and that he was going to end it –most likely with Zanar's death.

Having ignored Zanar's shouts through most of the fight, Jynx realized he was now begging Kidd to let him go as the red head came to a stop several feet away. His behavior sickened her. He was the one to pick the fight in the first place, he should have considered the fact that he might not win, might not survive. No battle was ever a guaranteed thing until the very end.

Even as she thought this, Jynx noticed some movement out of the corner of her eye. One of Zanar's men had somehow managed to escape the kill fest of the Kidd Pirates and had snuck behind the bar. That wasn't what bothered her though. What did was the gun in his hand which was aimed at the back of Kidd.

Watching as he took aim and pulled back on the flintlock to cock the gun, Jynx felt her temper flaring as she got out of the booth and stood up. Only a coward would shoot at a person's back, and only scum would interfere with a one-on-one fight. If there were two things Jynx hated it was cowards and scum.

In the single second it took Zanar's man to go from cocking the gun to resting his finger on the trigger, Jynx had her pistol out and leveled at his head. "I don't think so," she said in a quiet voice that carried across the room sending chills into the spines of everyone that heard it. As the last syllable left her mouth, she pulled the trigger and the man slumped against the bar, rapidly spilling blood across it.

The entire bar seemed to have fallen eerily still as the sound of the gunshot faded. "Tell the devil Jynx sent you," she said, raising the gun to blow away the smoke coming from its tip before flipping it around in her hand, and dropping it into its holster.

"Hahaha!" Feeling her temper quickly returning to normal, Jynx glanced over at Kidd who was laughing his head off. She watched as he walked up to Zanar who was cowering on the ground and roughly picked him up by the front of his shirt. "Allow me to put you in your place," he taunted, all traces of laughter gone from his face except for a rather large and devilish grin.

"No –please!" Zanar pleaded, but it was too late as Kidd pulled out his dagger with his free hand and stabbed Zanar in the chest, twisting the blade cruelly. Zanar's screams of pain rapidly faded as his lungs filled with blood and his life left his body.

Pulling out his dagger, Kidd wiped the blade clean on Zanar's shirt before dropping him to the ground and kicking the corpse away with his foot. Around the rest of the bar lay the bodies of the Gale Pirates –not a single one of them still alive.

Grabbing her tankard off the table, Jynx raised it in the air. "I'll raise my glass to you. That was nicely done," she said, nodding to Kidd and the rest of his crew before taking a swig.

"Heh, that was a good shot yourself," Kidd shot back. "I thought you were just gonna sit back and watch the entire time."

"Well, that was the plan until he tried to pull his little stunt," Jynx said jerking her head towards the man she'd shot. "After all, I couldn' have him shooting the man who's going to be my captain."

Somehow, the grin on Kidd's face grew larger than ever.

"To my new life as a Kidd Pirate," Jynx said, tilting her head back and downing the rest of her drink. The sound of her tankard banging against the tabletop when she finished was akin to that of a judge's gavel.

* * *

><p>Well, there's chapter two. Did everyone like it?<p>

Reviews are awesome and let me know how I'm doing, so please drop one before you go.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I don't own One Piece. Jynx is mine though, and so are any other OCs that I create.

**Note:** This story is completely separate from, and has absolutely nothing to do with my other One Piece story, Conspiracy.

**Also Note:** This story has characters with accents which means there will be purposeful misspellings and grammar mistakes.

**Thank you:** Pokepika's Haunt, Sarin-sama, soul-madness, Autumn Eclipse, mcr77, Henna89, C'Kidd, and RobinFleur194 for the spectacular reviews!

_Anonymous Review Response:_

_Autumn Eclipse_ - I'm happy to hear that you think so highly of Jynx, and I will continue to do my best with Kidd and Killer. =)

* * *

><p><strong>Lock and Load<strong>

If you have the guts to hold a gun, make sure you have the guts to pull the trigger.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Three<strong>

Waking in the dim light of the early predawn hours, it took Jynx several moments to realize where she was as the hammock she lay in swung back and forth gently with the motion of the ship. Blinking the sleep out of her eyes, she recalled how the past day had been spent moving her things from the gun shop to the previously empty cabin boy room of the Kidd Pirates' ship.

Slowly sitting up, Jynx rolled first one shoulder and then the other before cracking her neck to loosen up. It had been a few years since she'd last slept on a ship. Swinging her feet over the edge of the hammock, she dropped down to the cold wooden floor. Taking a few minutes to stretch and relax, Jynx let out a content sigh before softly padding across the floor to look out the port hole at the gently rolling sea still gray in the pale morning light.

A few minutes later found Jynx out of her sleepwear, and instead in one of her many off-white burlap shirts with a dark green corset top over it, loose black pants tucked into her black boots, and her gold sash around her waist. Picking up her hairbrush from where it sat on the small desk in the corner of the room, Jynx ran it through her hair, stopping now and again to untangle the worst of the knots with her fingers.

Once she was satisfied, Jynx pushed her hair back letting the dark brown wavy locks ripple down to the middle of her upper back. Pulling a dark green bandana out of the sea chest she had stored all of her clothes in, Jynx placed it on her head, tying it tight while making sure to avoid catching any loose hairs with her deft fingers.

The last thing she did before leaving her room was to take her gun belt down from the nail on the post of her hammock and fasten it around her waist.

Standing outside the door to her room, Jynx looked around the short hall she was in –it was actually the only hall in the entire ship. Yesterday while she'd been moving in Pierce had helped her, explaining different things about the ship while they worked. One of the first things he had explained was the ship's layout which was actually quite simple.

The ship had three main levels, the first being the hold in the very bottom of the ship which was used as storage for extra ropes, sails, tools, and fresh food and water. It was also where the ship's cannons were located although, Pierce had informed Jynx that it wasn't often that they used the cannons since Kidd preferred to let the enemies get close and hear their screams of pain from damage dealt by his own hands.

This had also brought about the learning or an important rule: if it's metal make sure it's always tightly secured down. After seeing Kidd's ability for herself at the bar, this rule needed no explaining.

The next level was the lower deck which could basically be divided into three sections from Jynx's understanding –the crew's room, the mess hall, and the private rooms. The crew's room was located up in the forecastle, or front, of the lower deck. It's where the majority of the crew slept, and nicely enough it provided them with two bathrooms.

The mess hall took up the majority of the middle of the lower deck. True to its name, it was where the crew gathered to eat and drink. On the far left of the mess hall was a galley kitchen which due to a large window cut into the wall, allowed the cooks to look out over the crew as they ate and be part of the action. Off to the side of the mess hall were the stairs that led down to the hold. Across the mess hall on the right side were the stairs leading up to the trap door which opened onto the main deck.

The final part of the lower deck was the private rooms which Jynx was grateful to find herself living in as the idea of sleeping in the forecastle with the rest of the crew didn't exactly enthrall her.

The private rooms were separated from the mess hall by a door which led to the small hall Jynx was currently standing in.

If you were facing the hall as if you'd just opened the door from the mess hall, there were three doors on the left, and two to the right. The first door on the left, which was the cabin boy room, was now Jynx's. The next door down was Killer's, and the final door on the left was Pierce's. With Killer being the first mate, it made sense for him to have his own room, and it hadn't taken Jynx long to figure out that Pierce was the unofficial second mate as well as being the ship's navigator which also merited having his own room.

Across the hall from Pierce was Salem who to Jynx's honest surprise was the ship's doctor. Truly, she would never have guessed that someone who wandered around in leather mini shorts holding what looked like a trident pitchfork would be a doctor.

Of course, being a doctor was more than enough reason to give Salem his own room, added to the fact the final door in the small hall led to the infirmary, and there was actually a door which connected Salem's room directly to the infirmary.

The other nice thing Pierce had informed Jynx of was that there was a bathroom in the infirmary which he, Salem, and Killer had shared, and would now be sharing with her. She would much rather share a bathroom with the three of them than the rest of the crew.

The last full level of the ship was the main deck which could also be divided into three parts –the area beneath the Fo'c'sle deck, or as Pierce more easily labeled it -the front or foredeck, the open deck, and the part beneath the quarterdeck.

Beneath the foredeck was a good sized training room which Jynx had gone and inspected when she'd had some free time. It was actually pretty nice with a space for sparring if the weather outside was bad, along with lots of free weights and other things to help the crew train and become stronger.

Across the main deck underneath the quarterdeck were two important rooms. If you were facing the doors, the one on the right was Kidd's room, and the one on the left led to the navigation rooms which had several tables and bookcases inside with maps pinned to the wall and all sorts of other devices that Jynx wasn't overly familiar with.

Pierce had seemed rather protective of the room, informing Jynx that for the most part the crew was banned from it in order to keep all the maps and things safe. He had said however, that since she wasn't rowdy like the rest of the crew, if she promised not to touch anything she could visit the navigation room whenever she wanted. The amount of trust this showed Pierce putting in her was not lost on Jynx, and she had made a mental note to never abuse the privilege.

Having meandered up to the main deck, Jynx was currently looking at the door to the navigation room consideringly. It was still early, so the rest of the ship was asleep, and not having much else to do, Jynx decided to go take a look at the maps.

Upon opening the door, she was surprised at the sight of Pierce bending over a map on the large table in the middle of the room muttering to himself. At the sound of the door opening he looked up at her, a spark of surprise crossing his face before it returned to normal.

"I didn't think you'd take up my offer to come here this quickly," he said in his somewhat gravely, deep voice, beckoning Jynx over with a hand. Making her way around the table, Jynx joined him in looking down at the map.

"I didn' think you would be up so early," Jynx said quietly, looking down at the unfamiliar lines on the map.

"I could say the same for you," Pierce chuckled with a hint of a smirk. "Could you not sleep well or do you always get up this early?"

"I've always been an early riser," Jynx said, reaching out to touch the map, but freezing when she remembered that Pierce had said not to touch anything, so instead she moved her hand to rest lazily on the edge of the table. The movement didn't go unnoticed by Pierce.

"You can touch the map as long as your hands are clean which I doubt is something I have to worry about with you."

Nodding gratefully, Jynx reached out and touched the map as lightly as a feather with her finger, gently tracing the confusing lines surrounding the island in the center of the map. "What are these strange lines?" she asked after a moment. "I know the lines on land represent the steepness –the closer together they are, the steeper the incline, but that does not seem like the reason for these lines in the water."

Pierce nodded slowly, giving her an appraising look before turning to the map. "Those lines are the currents in the water."

"Why are there so many lines then? Surely there can' be that many currents at once in a single area," Jynx said in confusion.

"There's not," Pierce said, pointing to one of the lines Jynx had traced. "This line is for the normal current in the area, and this one over here is how the current usually flows when a storm is on its way. Other current lines show variations in the current from morning to evening and during the different tides as you get closer to an island."

Jynx let out a low, soft whistle of appreciation. There was more information there than she could have guessed. "How do you know which lines are which?" she asked curiously, leaning closer to the map to take a better look at all the different lines.

"This map comes from a set I purchased which has a key that describes what all the different lines mean. Without a key or knowing the cartographer who drew the map and remembering the way they like to draw them, it's impossible to know," Pierce responded slowly.

Noting the slight change in his voice, Jynx glanced up at the navigator, and slowly drew back from the map. "Is something wrong Pierce?" she asked carefully.

"No," Pierce said slowly again, shaking his head back and forth lightly. "It's nothing. Well, nothing important anyways." Jynx nodded slowly, knowing it wasn't the truth, but understanding that it wasn't her business to know unless he wanted to tell her. "Have you had breakfast yet?" Pierce asked after a few moments, breaking the silence between them.

"Not yet, I wasn' hungry when I woke up," Jynx replied, smoothly adjusting to the change of subject. "I'm starting to feel hungry now though."

"Then I say we go get some breakfast before the rest of the crew gets up," Pierce said, putting away a few of his instruments. "It's much nicer not having to fight for your food."

Smirking, Jynx let out an amused chuckled. "I would suppose so."

*%%*

Jynx found that she was indeed glad to have beaten the crew to breakfast. After she and Pierce had their bowls filled with oatmeal by Hobbes, the head chef, the two of them went and took a seat at a round table in the corner.

Not even a full five minutes later it was as if some silent signal had gone off as the door leading to the crew's room sprang open and the men poured out into the mess hall grumbling and complaining. Watching as they shoved each other roughly, trying to be the first to get their breakfast, Jynx made a mental note to never be late to breakfast, or even on time for that matter.

Breakfast and probably all the other meals as well were to be arrived at early whenever possible.

"Is it always this bad?" Jynx asked between mouthfuls.

"Bad? This is a good morning by normal standards. Just wait until we've been on the sea a few days and you'll see just how bad mealtimes can get," Pierce replied after swallowing. "Although, it's not as bad once everybody's sitting down."

"I'll take your word for it," Jynx said with mild disbelief. Several minutes later, she watched as Salem and Killer walked into the mess hall. It surprised her that rather than go get in line for breakfast, they made a beeline for where she and Pierce were sitting.

"Are you two not hungry?" Jynx asked blowing on a spoonful of oatmeal to cool it down.

"Oh, we're hungry enough," Salem replied as he sat down across from her, "we just don't want to put up with the chaos over there. We'll go get breakfast in a few minutes." Jynx nodded in understanding. It wasn't a bad idea since either way they had to wait for their food, so they might as well wait at the table instead of being shoved around. Although, Jynx couldn't really see the crew daring to jostle either of them around, but still…

"How's our course? Did the night watch keep us going in the right direction?" Looking up curiously at Killer who'd spoken, Jynx realized he was addressing Pierce.

"We're doing fine. I'm guessing it'll be close to two weeks before we see land again though if the log post is pointing to the island I think it is. That's if the weather stays good the entire time too." A nod from Killer was his only response while Salem let out a huff.

"I sure hope it's more eventful this time around." A murmur of agreement came from Pierce while Killer nodded his head again. Apparently, there was something they knew which Jynx didn't, but she didn't let it bother her.

Scrapping the final spoonful of oatmeal from the bottom of her bowl, Jynx glanced over at the kitchen. The line had finally dispersed, and noting that the other three occupants of the table had somehow gotten into a lengthy conversation, Jynx quietly slipped out of her seat and made her way over to the kitchen.

She could feel the eyes of some of the crew on her, but ignored them. Once they were used to having her around, the stares would stop. Meeting Hobbes at the kitchen window, Jynx handed him her bowl.

"So how'd yah like mah cookin'?" Hobbes asked curiously. Jynx smiled. Hobbes was one of the few crew members she'd had a chance to be introduced to the previous day, and for some reason she had just instantly liked the man. Maybe it's because he kind of reminded her of Jilgo.

Hobbes was a rather big man at least in Jynx's standards. Her head couldn't quite meet the top of his shoulder, and he was a large mass of muscle which was obvious as the t-shirt he wore underneath his open black leather vest had the sleeves ripped off exposing his large biceps. His short rust colored hair lay flat on his head, and complimented his blue eyes which were set in a well defined face.

"I was actually wondering if seconds are allowed," Jynx replied smoothly. Grinning, Hobbes filled her bowl again, but set it aside instead of giving to her as he went to fill three more bowls.

"I might want more Hobbes, but I can't eat all that," Jynx laughed softly.

"Ah'd be worried iffin yah could Jynx. Naw, this is for the cap'in, Killer, and Salem. Think yah could carry four bowls back for mae?" Glancing back, Jynx saw that Kidd had indeed appeared and was currently standing next to the table she'd been sitting at, talking to Killer, Pierce, and Salem.

"What about Pierce?" Jynx asked turning back to the cook. "He should be just about finished with his first bowl."

She raised an eyebrow in question as Hobbes gave her a funny look. "Yer a strange one Jynx. Round here yah normally fend fer yerself. Besides, yah only got two hands, so how can yah carry five bowls? Four should bae hard enough."

"Try me," Jynx replied with a smirk. Hobbes stared her down for a moment before sighing and shaking his head as he pulled out another bowl and filled it up. Once the bowl was filled, he placed the five bowls in a row in front of Jynx.

"So yah mind tellin' mae just how yer gonna do this Jynx?" Not bothering to respond, Jynx swiftly placed three of the bowls on her left arm, stopping a moment to make sure they were balanced and then placed the other two on her right arm. "Tha's nevar gonna work," Hobbes said in disbelief, reaching out to take the bowls from Jynx, but she backed up and roll her eyes. Men.

Turning, Jynx made her way back to the table with the eyes of what felt like the entire crew as they realized what she was doing.

"Oi, don't drop 'em!" called a cheeky voice. Glancing over her shoulder in the direction of the voice, Jynx met eyes with the pirate who'd called out to her and smirked.

"Don' worry, I won'." Seeing that Jynx could take and throw friendly banter, a few other voices started calling out to her to which she responded good naturedly. A few of her responses got some good chuckles and laughs out of the crew, so that when she reached the table even Kidd seemed to be laughing and having a good time.

"Those better not all be for you," he said with a grin as Jynx carefully slid the bowls from her arm to the table.

"Just this one," Jynx replied smoothly, taking her old seat with bowl in hand. Grinning, Kidd grabbed a bowl as did everyone else at the table. A few nods of thanks were given, but the words weren't actually spoken. Jynx could easily guess that while respect and thanks could be shown, the words "thank you" were rarely vocalized.

"I hope you got a good night's sleep," Kidd chuckled as he dug in, "cause after this you're getting a crash course in how to be a sailor, and it won't be easy. There's more to being a pirate than fighting, and I hate having dead weight on the ship."

Swallowing, Jynx smirked mischievously. "I think you'll find me up to the challenge."

*%%*

"Alright, listen up newbie 'cause it ain't cool if I hafta repeat myself." Sitting on a spar midway up the foremast, Jynx resisted the urge to roll her eyes since it would probably set Jax off again. Jax, was the crew member in charge of teaching her life in the rigging since he was apparently quite good at it.

His shoulder length dark blue hair and chiseled chest which was shown off by an overly tight fishnet tank top would have many girls after him, but Jynx had burst out laughing when she was first introduced to him –well, after threatening to seriously injure if not kill him because he tried to flirt with her and got on her nerves when he didn't back off even after she'd said she wasn't interested.

Kidd had laughed his head off, injuring Jax's pride even further after he was shot down by a girl, and Killer had quietly told Jynx that while Jax was a good fighter and almost indispensable in the rigging, his playboy attitude could get annoying and that it was a good thing she'd shot him down so quickly. He also warned her that Jax might try again once his pride recovered and while she shouldn't kill him if he did, to feel free to let him have it.

Adjusting the metal link chain around his neck which was held closed by a keyhole lock, Jax gave Jynx a superior look as he launched into the particulars of the ropes and sails of the spar they were sitting on.

"Did you get all that newbie?" Jax asked in annoyance when he was done. Jynx hadn't been paying much attention, but she didn't really need to since it wasn't the first time she'd been exposed to ropes and sails –not that he needed to know that.

At a nod from Jynx, Jax got to his feet, balancing easily on the spar. "Alright then, the sails are where they need to be for now, so we'll focus on getting you used to running around in the rigging which is something you can only gain through practice."

Nodding again, Jynx got to her feet, feeling the sway of the ship, the mast, and the spar she was on as she adjusted her weight slightly to keep her balance. It only took a few seconds for her to feel comfortable.

"Okay," Jax said, drawing Jynx's attention again. "Just moving around the rigging would be boring, so we'll turn it into a bit of a game. I'm going to give you a twenty second head start and then I'm going to try and catch you. If you get caught, you lose, and have to give me a kiss," Jax said, turning around to throw Jynx what most girls would call a seductive smile. "We'll keep playing until there's a shift change for the rigging."

"And if I don't get caught," Jynx asked dangerously, her hand hovering over her pistol. She might just have to let him have it sooner than she'd originally thought.

"Oh, don't worry, I'll be sure to catch you," Jax replied slyly. "There's no way you can outrun me in the rigging when I'm so experienced and you're just a beginner, but if it'll make you feel better, we can say that if by some miracle you don't get caught, I'll give you a thousand beli. Fair enough?"

Jynx nodded, letting her hand relax.

"Okay then, no weapons allowed, no leaving the rigging, and your twenty seconds start now," Jax smirked, leaning against the mast. Not needing a second invitation, Jynx took off up the rigging. She was just below the top spar of the foremast when she felt extra vibrations on the ropes. Looking down, she saw that Jax had started climbing up behind her.

A cheshire grin spread across Jynx's face. This is where the fun began.

Quickly ascending the final rungs of the rigging, Jynx hopped up onto the top mast, balancing easily even though the swaying of the mast was worse higher up. Looking back down at Jax, Jynx let out an interested 'hmm'.

He was already closing in on her.

Not about to be caught, Jynx easily ran across the spar, slowing slightly as she neared the mast. "Looks like you've trapped yourself," Jax called from eight feet below her as he continued to climb. "You can't go anywhere with the mast in the way."

"_That's what you think_," Jynx said with a smirk.

"I'm not sure what you just said, but man do you sound sexy when you talk in another language," Jax said, a predatory grin edging its way onto his face as he licked his bottom lip.

Wrinkling her nose in disgust, Jynx grabbed one of the free hanging ropes and pushed off the spar as she neared the mast in order to swing around it to the other side. She lost her balance for a brief moment as her feet touched down on the other side of the mast, but she quickly regained it.

"What the?" she heard Jax shout in disbelief. "You shouldn't be able to do something like that –you're just a newbie!"

Grinning, Jynx used a loose knot to secure the rope to her side of the mast so Jax couldn't reach it before swiftly dropping down into the rigging and making her way back down the mast.

"Oi, get back here!"

Looking up at Jax who was descending back down the rigging on the other side of the mast, Jynx let out a laugh. He'd never catch her like that.

The game continued on for quite a while, and as people on deck realized what was going on, they stopped what they were doing to watch, and a few of them started placing bets. Occasionally, Jynx would go sit on the bottom spar and talk to the people on deck for a few seconds before she had to move again.

A few times, she and Jax ended up in the same section of rigging, but even then she always managed to slip away before he could catch up and the cheers and complaints from the betters below would drift up to them making Jynx laugh.

Jax though, wasn't finding the situation to be funny at all. He'd expected to catch Jynx over and over again, earning a kiss each time in order to win the new girl over. After all, he was a good kisser in his own humble opinion, and what good was having a girl on the ship if she didn't like him? He shouldn't have been having so much trouble catching a newbie, but it hadn't taken him too long to realize that Jynx was no newbie when it came to running around the rigging, and it infuriated him.

Captain had told him to teach her the ropes, but she already knew them. What kind of a joke was this? The captain wasn't one for pulling pranks, so all Jax could guess was that even the captain hadn't known about Jynx's skill.

Growling in annoyance as he missed Jynx yet again, Jax knew he was running out of time –it wouldn't be much longer until the shift change, and he needed to make her pay for the humiliation she was handing him. He, the one who was supposed to be the fastest and most adept in the rigging of the entire crew, was being showed up by a girl! It just wasn't cool.

When the shift change came, Jynx easily made her way down the mast to the deck where several of the crew congratulated her. She could feel Jax's scowl on her back and turned to smirk at him in a superior manner.

"Don' forget you owe me a thousand beli now," she chided softly, her eyes twinkling with laughter as Jax shoved his hands into his pockets sulking.

"Cheater," her huffed at her indignantly, "you were supposed to be a newbie."

"I am," Jynx said lightly, "on this ship at least." The old sailor joke brought appreciative laughs from several of the crew who were listening in. "Besides, with all the skill I heard you were supposed to possess, you should have been able to do more than you did up there." Throwing her head back in a haughty manner, Jynx enjoyed watching Jax bristle as the crew laughed at him.

"She's got ya thar Jax," a burly voice called out.

Face burning red, Jax whirled on Jynx who didn't even bat an eyelash as he stormed up to her. "How dare you make me lose face like this!" he hissed quietly in her face. Looking up at him as he stood a few inches taller than her, Jynx rolled her eyes.

"The only one making you lose face is yourself," she replied smoothly before turning and starting to walk off. A couple cheers and laughs came from the onlookers as she coolly shunned Jax. The boy was starting to wear on her nerves, so she wanted to go find someplace to relax where he wasn't.

"Wait a minute," Jax said reaching out and grabbing her arm. "I'm not done with you." Sending him an ice cold glare over her shoulder, Jynx's eyes sparked dangerously.

"No? Well, I'm done with you, so let go before you have time to regret it."

Jynx watched as a frown fell onto Jax's face, and the next thing she knew, he'd yanked her sharply towards him while taking a step in so that their bodies collided and she felt his arms wrap around her tightly.

"I've never met a girl who didn't warm up to me after a kiss," he whispered into her ear in a low, sultry voice, his warm breath tickling her ear. Jynx's eyes hardened into honey colored steel as she felt him draw away, and knew what was coming next as she felt his hand smoothly coast up her arm towards her chin.

Without warning, no change in her breathing or tensing of her muscles, Jynx swiftly kneed him in his family jewels. She could hear a few sympathetic groans from other crew members, but ignored them as she swung her left fist into Jax's sternum as he was in the process of doubling over.

Not slowing, Jynx took the opportunity of Jax being bent over to deck him in the face with her right fist, sending him toppling back onto the deck. Stepping forward, Jynx placed her boot firmly on Jax's chest as she leveled her pistol at him.

"You really are a fool. Be grateful that I've been told not to kill you or you'd already be dead," Jynx informed him. "I can however, quite easily injure you without killing you. This is your second strike –next time I won' let you go unscathed," Jynx warned as she returned her pistol to its holster. "You can keep your money."

Pivoting sharply, she strode away, her eyes catching sight of an amused grin coming from Kidd who was standing up on the quarter deck looking down at her with Killer at his side.

* * *

><p>And there's chapter three for ya. I hope you all enjoyed it. =)<p>

If you want another good Kidd story check out Tarnished Souls Spilled Blood & Endless Blue Seas by Anon A. Mauze.

Reviews are amazing and help inspire me, so make sure to leave one before you go.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I don't own One Piece. Jynx is mine though, and so are any other OCs that I create.

**Note:** This story is completely separate from, and has absolutely nothing to do with my other One Piece story, Conspiracy.

**Also Note:** This story has characters with accents which means there will be purposeful misspellings and grammar mistakes.

****Thank you:**** Pokepika's Haunt, Sarin-sama, Henna89, WritingQueen14, and RobinFleur194 for the spectacular reviews on chapter three!

* * *

><p><strong>Important Author's Note:<strong>

This is the highly improved and vastly rewritten version of chapter four. In my original chapter four I tried experimenting with something new -multiple POVs in a single chapter. As it turns out I am not very good at this, so the quality of the original chapter four was not even close to that of the first three chapters.

So now, in this second version it is back to a single POV, and there are also one or two idea changes from the original chapter four. There has also been a slight change in story line, but I feel it will work better this way. I also feel that the quality of this chapter is far superior to my original.

Thank you so much Henna89 for pointing out to me just how far below the quality of my first three chapters my original chapter four was.

Thank you everyone for putting up with me taking down chapter four and fixing it. I hope you will all enjoy this new and improved version. I just want you all to know that I am fully dedicated to making this story the best story it can possibly be, so I am willing to go back and fix what isn't good in order to keep this story great.

~Everlude

* * *

><p><strong>Lock and Load<strong>

If you have the guts to hold a gun, make sure you have the guts to pull the trigger.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Four<strong>

The rain had started almost without warning, falling from the sky in large droplets which quickly grew in number until the ship and all those on deck were soaked. It had been her desire to refrain from getting soaked that had landed Jynx in her current situation of being the only person in the training room besides Killer who didn't seem overly happy to have company.

"Can't you go somewhere else?" Killer asked, staring Jynx down from behind his mask. "It's not like the storm is so bad you can't cross the deck."

"I see no reason why I should become soaking wet just to appease your request," Jynx replied smoothly from where she sat on a chest which was filled with training equipment. "Besides, if I stay here on this chest it's not like I'll get in your way while you train. Nor would I annoy you with mindless chatter."

Killer sighed in frustration. He'd already learned once just how stubborn Jynx could be. She wasn't quite as bad as Kidd, but the difference was small indeed. He could use his authority as first mate to order her to leave, but somehow he felt liked he'd lose face in her eyes if he did something like that –almost as if he was abusing his power or something.

"You'd better make sure I don't notice you," Killer grunted, deciding he might as well just train instead of fighting a battle where he could end up losing a lot of face.

Not that Jynx's opinion overly mattered to him, but if she came under the impression that he'd use his authority for any little thing it could lead to problems later on. As first mate it was important for him to have as much a hold on the crew as Kidd did which could be done in one of three ways –love, fear, or respect.

Love was out of the question. Kidd Pirates were haughty and tough, not mushy pansies. Sure, they looked out for each other and were friends on varying degrees, but that wasn't love –it was comradeship. Jynx's case could be a bit different since she was the only female on the ship, but Killer didn't want to go there. No, he wouldn't treat Jynx any different than the rest of the crew just because she was a female –the only exception to that being to make sure and give her an extra amount of privacy.

Besides, he'd noticed that during her first two weeks on the ship Jynx had quickly picked up on the overall atmosphere of the ship, and never tried to use the fact that she was a woman to her advantage. It had earned her a certain degree of respect in Killer's eyes even though he hadn't thought she'd try to use it to her advantage in the first place since she didn't seem like that type of person. Still though, it was nice to have his theory confirmed rather than proven wrong.

The second option of fear wasn't ideal either. Sure, he ruled some of the crew with fear and it worked alright, but he doubted it would ever work with Jynx. For one, she didn't seem to be scared of anything, and was actually keeping several of the crew in check by instilling a fear of her into them. No, Jynx wouldn't be ruled by fear –she ruled with fear, and rather adeptly at that.

This only left one option as to how to keep Jynx in line, and that was respect. Having watched her interact with the crew since she'd arrived on the ship, Killer knew Jynx's attitude towards those that didn't have her respect, and while it was amusing to watch, it wasn't something he wanted directed towards himself.

The fact that Jynx was skilled enough to cause some serious trouble among the crew if she didn't respect him was where the problem lay. Not that she would start a rebellion or purposely go out of her way to make trouble, but Killer could just sense that she held a key spot in the lower crew –if she didn't listen to him others would stop listening to him too.

He wasn't sure how she'd secured such a spot so quickly, but he could tell she had and he wasn't the only one to notice. Pierce and Salem had both commented on it as well. At first they had wondered if it was because she was a woman and that perhaps the crew thought if a woman didn't listen to the higher ups they didn't have to either, but that theory hadn't lasted long.

Glancing out of one of the holes in his mask at her, Killer blinked in surprise. It looked like Jynx had fallen asleep while sitting on the chest with her back resting against the wall. Letting out a soft huff, Killer shook his head slightly. She really could be strange sometimes.

There was something about her that neither he, Pierce, or Salem could put their finger on. Maybe if he asked Kidd, he'd have some idea, but he wasn't going to bother the captain with something so insignificant.

Leaving Jynx to sleep, Killer went back to work training. There was a new move –if you could call it that- which he wanted to use, but he couldn't seem to get it quite right. With his particular fighting style he didn't really have "moves" like normal blade users, but that didn't mean he couldn't improve. Much of his ability and skill came from learning to maneuver his body instead of his blades which were set in their position at the side of his hands.

Going through the motions, Killer gritted his teeth in frustration, fists clenched by his sides as time after time he failed to twist his body correctly. He had to get this move down if he was going to get any better! Finally, he noticed the sensation of being watched, and turned swiftly to face Jynx who was eyeing him in amusement.

"That move seems to be giving you some trouble."

"I thought you were asleep," Killer commented dryly, annoyed and somewhat embarrassed that she had been watching him fail over and over. This is why he trained alone whenever he was trying to learn something new. He hated having others see him mess up. As first mate he was supposed to perform, not fail.

"Lightly dosing perhaps, but my mind was wide awake," Jynx replied calmly as she stood up and stretched her arms above her head. "Would you like some help with that move?"

Killer felt a sharp stab in his pride, but at the same time he felt an eyebrow raise in disbelief and question –not the Jynx would know that due to his mask.

"I'm not in the mood for games," he replied firmly. Jynx merely ignored him as she walked into the open part of the training floor. Killer watched curiously as she glanced around herself briefly before nodding. Then, without warning she sprang into the air, and he could only watch in shock as the very move he'd been struggling with was pulled off easily before his very eyes.

"How did you do that?" he couldn't help but ask after Jynx had landed. She was silent for a few moments before responding.

"On my native island there are many traditions, but there is one in particular that gave me cause to learn such a thing. I could tell you more about it if you wish," she said thoughtfully, "but right now while the image of how to do it is fresh in your head would be a good time to fix your mistakes."

Killer eyed her questioningly as she strolled over to him, and was caught even more off guard as she touched him. Nobody ever touched him unless it was Kidd, Pierce, or Salem giving him a quick pat on the back or something similar. She nudged his foot with hers and tapped his knee which while strange didn't bother him overly much. No, what caught his attention was the hand she placed over his chest and the other one which snuck beneath his hair to lay flat against his back.

"What do you think you're doing?" he all but growled at her, not liking the feeling of her hands on him. He wasn't one for touching people –never had been, and never would be if he had anything to say about it.

"Helping you," Jynx replied calmly, looking up at him. "You're putting too much weight on your right foot while not bending your left knee enough." Tensing in annoyance, Killer heard Jynx tsk under her breath. "And that's your other problem –you're far too tense so your upper body balance is being thrown off. You need to learn to relax."

Killer had had enough. Huffing in annoyance, he roughly knocked Jynx's arms away. "I didn't ask for your help," he intoned dangerously. Watching a quick knowing look flash across her face, Killer knew that Jynx had realized she'd overstepped the line and was now standing on his pride as not only the first mate of the crew, but his pride as a man.

Satisfied when she'd given him a brief nod and returned to her corner, Killer waited a few minutes for her to doze off again before resuming his training. The extra time also allowed him to cool his partially sparked temper and rein his pride back into check. While he didn't like it, she had only been trying to help and it was obvious from her little display that she knew what she was doing.

Taking a few deep breaths, Killer slowly loosened the muscles throughout his body before attempting the move again. When he did, he was unsuccessful yet again, and only a few tries later, crashed to the floor with an annoyed groan. This was going nowhere.

Glancing over at Jynx, he knew she was awake again by the smirk on her lips even though her eyes remained closed. If he hadn't felt it would make him seem childish he would have chucked out the training room door right then so he could practice in solitude.

Instead, Killer opted to sit on the floor with the bottoms of his feet together. He needed to regain his focus and find a different approach since the one he was using obviously wasn't working. Try as he might, the only idea that would come to his head was what Jynx had suggested, and even though it sounded smart, his pride refused to allow him to stoop that low so early. There had to be another way…

Eventually, Killer gave up with a sigh. He couldn't come up with anything else, and he didn't want Jynx to see him trying her idea either so it looked like his training was over for the moment.

"I know you're awake over there," he called out to Jynx, watching as she opened an eye to look at him. "I won't be training anymore right now, so why don't you tell me about that tradition from your island?" Since Jynx had been on the ship barely two weeks, no one really knew her that well, so Killer figured he might as well take advantage of an opportunity to get to know their newest crew member a bit better. It was possible that it could help him understand her mysterious spot in the crew and how'd she'd obtained it so quickly.

The way her lips pursed together at his question made him think for a moment that she'd changed her mind about telling him, but a slow nod of her head let him know that she was thinking. On what he didn't know, but he knew he'd get his answer soon enough.

"Oi Killer!"

Whipping his head around as the door to the training room was violently thrown open, Killer was greeted by the sight of Kidd who was soaking wet and looking rather annoyed. Even as he watched, Kidd's eyes darted to Jynx in the corner in surprise and then back to him momentarily. Kidd knew his habit of practicing alone, and Killer had no doubt that he'd be asked about this odd exception.

"So you're here too Jynx," Kidd said with a slight nod of his head. "I need both of you on deck –the storm's taking a turn for the worst. Jynx head for the rigging if you think you can handle it in this weather –Killer, you come with me," he commanded firmly.

Getting to his feet, Killer watched as Jynx slipped out the door passed Kidd into the pouring rain with a quick nod of her head. He paused for a moment to wonder if she'd really be alright in the rigging during a storm, but then the memory of her outracing Jax on her first day aboard the ship popped into his mind and his subconscious shoved all thoughts of her away. Jynx could handle herself just fine, and if she couldn't then she deserved to die in the storm because their ship had no room for dead weight.

Turning his attention to Kidd, Killer wanted to groan at the nonexistent eyebrow that was raised in his direction. Kidd was going to ask him about that now, when he'd come storming into the training room in such a rush?

"Come on," Kidd said in an amused voice as he turned and swept out the door. Killer followed after him, recognizing that tone of voice. Kidd wanted to know, but he'd wait until later to find out. "I need you to go grab the rest of the crew that isn't on deck already. Then you'll be in charge of everything going on on deck while Pierce and I handle the ship's navigation."

Killer gave a curt nod. This was the second grandline storm that had turned bad on them, so it wasn't like he was without experience in what to do. The real problem would be making sure everything was taken care of as quickly as possible.

Leaving Kidd, Killer made his way beneath deck to the mess hall. A few of the crew were there, but it was obvious they'd be up on deck in a minute by themselves as they were throwing on boots, gloves, and the odd pair of goggle in order to handle the rain.

Ignoring them for the moment, Killer made his way through the tables to the door leading to the crew's room. Throwing it open, Killer was glad yet again that he had his own room as first mate -the crew wasn't necessarily great at keeping the place clean by any means. Clothes and random items were strewn everywhere and a musty smell mingling with the scent of sweat filled the air.

Seeing that his slamming the door open had startled the rooms few occupants awake, Killer barked out his orders to them. "Be on deck in less than five minutes if you still want a place on this ship -there's a bad storm and we need all hands on deck!" Almost instantly, the men in the room scrambled out of their hammocks and began tossing on shirts and boots.

With a curt nod of his head, Killer pivoted on his heels and left them. They'd be on deck within five minutes. The few occupants of the mess hall had cleared out leaving just Hobbes who waved Killer down with a ladle in hand.

"Whadda yah want mae to do Killer?"

"Help out where you think it'll be best," Killer responded calmly. As the ship's only real good cook, having Hobbes get injured because of the storm wouldn't be favorable, but at the same time he needed to pull his own weight. Really, only Hobbes could make a good call on where he should be during an emergency like this.

"A'right, ah reckon ah can do tha'. So wha' has Cap'in got yah doin' in this mess?"

"I'm in charge of the deck," Killer replied as he watched the men stumble out of the crew's room in their hurry to make it up on deck. "Looks like that's everyone, so I'll be heading up now."

"Good luck tah yah Killer," Hobbes laughed, knowing Killer would have his hands full for the next few hours.

*%%*

Feeling similar to a drowned rat, Killer was at least glad for his mask which kept his face dry and his eyes shielded from the rain. It certainly had its uses besides making sure he didn't get blood into his eyes and mouth when he killed people.

Tilting his head back, he looked up into the rigging. It was hard to see with all the rain, but he needed to make sure everything was okay up there. Earlier when he'd looked, Jynx and Jax had been wrestling with the main sail which had partly come unsecured.

This time though, everything seemed to be fine as he watched the dark shapes of the few crew members still up in the rigging moving around. It would be safer if they could all come down to the deck, but someone had to stay in the rigging to keep checking the knots and make sure everything was the way it was supposed to be.

Bringing his attention back down to the deck he noticed some of the crew having some trouble, so he ran over to help them. The storm had already been raging for hours, and if it didn't stop soon they could be in real trouble.

Finally, almost as suddenly as it had started the storm stopped, leaving a weary pirate crew behind in its wake. For several minutes, everybody just sort of collapsed where they were in relief. Then, one-by-one and then in pairs and groups, the crew made their way beneath deck.

Hanging back to catch a quick word with Kidd, Killer was surprised when another person came down out of the rigging. He'd thought everyone had come down already. Watching as Jynx walked passed him to head below deck, Killer was satisfied to note that other than looking drop dead tired like the rest of the crew she looked just fine.

Having been on deck the entire storm, he knew Jynx had not left the rigging even once since the storm had started while most of the crew rotated through it. When he'd gotten the chance, he'd asked one of the crew about it who'd come down from the rigging, and he'd told him that Jynx felt she was of more use up there than down on the deck. He'd let it go at that –Jynx knew herself and her strengths and weaknesses better than anyone else, so if that's what she'd said it was probably true.

"Heh, that reminds me," Kidd began from his side. Killer's mind instantly flashed to earlier before the storm had turned rough and knew what was coming. "It's not like you to let other people in the training room when you practice, so how come she was in there when I came to find you?" he asked, jerking his head towards where Jynx had disappeared beneath deck. Not that he needed to since Killer knew who he was talking about and there was only one "she" on the entire ship.

"She came in right after it started to rain and fell asleep on the chest in the corner. She wasn't bugging me, so I let her stay," Killer replied with a loose shrug. "Besides, I've heard from Craus that if you try and wake Jynx up you end up with a gun in your face before you can blink. That's not something I'd particularly like to experience –especially when the person who's holding the gun knows how to use it and isn't afraid to pull the trigger."

At his response Kidd let out a booming laugh. "Hahaha! That would be a sight to see! Did Craus find this out personally?"

"I believe so," Killer replied smugly. He had to admit it was a rather humorous thought since Craus was so big. Jynx didn't even reach his shoulder, and his large, muscled body dwarfed her slim frame at least twice over. Add to that the fact that he dressed like a thug in a large blue coat and pale orange shirt with his short, curly blond hair in a mohawk, and it made the sight of him being threatened by Jynx with a gun in his face all the more entertaining –until you thought about the fact that it was Jynx holding the gun.

Then you realized he was just lucky to be alive and the thought became somewhat sobering as you wondered what would happen if the same thing were to happen to you. All it would take was a slip of Jynx's finger and BANG! –you'd be dead just like that.

"Oi Killer, go check on the crew already."

*%%*

Down in the mess hall, Killer leaned casually against the wall while he watched the crew to see how they were all faring after the storm. Overall, everyone seemed fine -tired, but fine.

"I'm sure glad that's over," Pierce sighed, slumping down onto one of the chairs near Killer.

"At least you didn't have to climb around in the rigging," Jax muttered as he walked past them towards a table where his friends were sitting. "I'm soaked to the bone and will be dead to the world pretty quick here. I'm beat."

Annoyed, and not in the mood to listen to complaints, Killer hit Jax over the head. Probably not the best idea he'd ever had since it set Jax to whining.

"Ouch Killer," Jax complained as he rubbed the top of his head ruefully. "What in the world was that for?" Killer sighed mentally. Why couldn't Jax just be quiet for once?

"You're not the only one who was out there. We all were, and if it weren't for Pierce's navigation skills we'd have been in a lot more trouble than we were." Killer said sternly, glaring at Jax through his mask. They were all tired and he wasn't in the mood to listen to people complaining –especially if it involved belittling Pierce's value as their navigator.

"I know Pierce is the navigator," Jax grumbled, "and that we were all out there, but you try living in the very top of the rigging during a storm that bad like I did."

"We're not blind Jax –Jynx was up there at the very top with you, and unlike you she never came down out of the rigging –not even once, and she hasn't complained at all," Pierce intoned tiredly. Killer gave a brief nod to back up Pierce's words. Thinking back on it, he realized he actually hadn't heard a single complaint from Jynx since she'd set foot on the ship. It was a nice change from the normal grumbling he'd hear all over the ship on a daily basis.

While Killer had been thinking, Jax had wandered off, muttering under his breath. Glad to be rid of him, Killer took a seat next to Pierce. Leaning forward, he rested his chin in the palm of his hand. The two of them sat there in companionable silence until they were joined by Salem.

"How'd the crew fare?" Killer asked, tilting his head towards Salem.

"Well, luckily we don't have any serious injuries," he sighed as he sat down. "Bruises, cuts, a few rope burns –the worst we got was Craus who's got a light sprain to his wrist. Give him a few days –a week at most and he'll be back to normal. The only person I haven't seen is Jynx, so as long as she's not seriously injured –which I doubt since she was running around just fine until the end- we'll be good."

Killer nodded in relief. For such a bad storm they'd been extremely lucky. Dwelling on Salem's words though, he found himself inconspicuously looking around for Jynx. She hadn't seemed injured when she'd walked passed him earlier, but it would be better to have Salem check her over to be sure than to have her let something slip under the table that might cause problems later on.

Not spotting her, Killer realized she was probably off changing into a dry set of clothes, and he couldn't blame her. Getting out of his own wet clothes would be nice. The way they clung to him so tightly when they were soaking wet was rather annoying.

"Keep an eye on the crew –I'll be back in a few minutes," Killer told Pierce and Salem as he got up. They could handle things just fine. On his way to the private quarters he nearly ran in Dirk whose furry coat was dripping wet, and his normally floppy orange mohawk was completely drooped over. Killer caught his reflection in Dirk's dark circular sunglasses and realized he wasn't much better off.

"Oops, my bad Killer, I didn't see ya there. Say, did Boss tell you who's gonna be on the first shift?"

"Not yet, but he should be down in a few minutes himself." Observing Dirk as he nodded and walked off, Killer made a mental note that he didn't seem as tired as some of the rest of the crew. If Kidd asked his opinion on who to put on the next shift -which no one would want since it was right after the storm- he'd be sure to recommend using Dirk.

Later, collapsing in to his hammock, Killer was never so glad to get a chance to rest. He'd been assigned to the first after storm shift along with Salem, Hobbes, Dirk, and Jynx who after talking to Salem had been cleared as just fine other than a couple of bruises. Now, nine long hours after Kidd had burst into the training room he could finally take a break and catch some sleep.

When Killer woke up it was to the sound of someone knocking on his door. Groaning, he rolled over and sat up, dangling his feet over the edge of his hammock. "Come in," he called in masked annoyance. He'd have liked a few more hours of sleep even though he wasn't sure how many he'd gotten in the first place.

The door creaked open, and Killer turned his head, surprised to see Jynx standing in his doorway. "Kidd told me to come wake you up. It turns out the storm helped us out by blowing us closer to the island we're headed for, so we'll be arriving there soon."

Killer nodded, still trying to come fully awake. "How long have I been out?"

"About six hours. I was woken up a few minutes ago myself though I'd prefer to snatch a couple more hours, but…" Jynx shrugged. "Anyways, I'd hurry up on deck as soon as you're awake. Captain seems like he wants to get off the ship the second we dock."

Killer grunted. That didn't surprise him much although he thought Kidd might have wanted a few more hours of sleep himself.

"I'll be right there," he replied, standing up. Once Jynx had nodded and left, he allowed himself a few goods stretches to loosen up a bit to help wake himself all the way up before he went up on deck. Suddenly, it registered in his mind that Jynx had been woken up just before him, and he wondered who the unfortunate soul assigned to that job had been.

*%%*

Walking around on Poisinsy, Killer had to admit he was somewhat impressed. He'd never seen such a large rainforests with so many giant trees and dense foliage. The crew had been walking around for nearly half an hour, and in all that time the only hint that the island was inhabited at all was the random times when Killer felt like they were being watched from the shadows. It was starting to get on his nerves, but he refused to let it show.

"Is this stupid overgrown excuse for a garden even inhabited," Killer heard Jax complain from somewhere behind him. It made him roll his eyes in a 'how stupid can you get?' manner. In the rigging Jax was better than him, but when it came to common sense, fighting, and instinct, Killer trumped him without question. Honestly, it was amazing how dense Jax could be.

Suddenly, as if Jax's words had triggered something, the crew was surrounded on all sides. "Good goin' Jax," someone growled.

Keeping a close eye on the people surrounding them, Killer reached for his blades. The natives of Poisinsy had skin several shades darker than Jynx's olive toned skin, and their bodies had what looked like tribal tattoos and paint on them. As he looked around, Killer noticed another fact –there were no women. This was obviously a greeting party meant to be able to deal with any rougher people that came to the island.

"Who are you and why have you come here?" A large man with a well built body stepped forward from the circle his companions had made around the crew to address them. Holding onto his blades, Killer carefully attached them without drawing any attention to himself while Kidd dealt with the apparent leader of the group.

"I'm Captain Kidd of the Kidd Pirates," Kidd replied smugly, "and this," he said with a large sweep of his hand, "is my crew." Killer noted that some of the natives relaxed at Kidd's statement. It was a bit odd since people normally hated pirates, but he'd have to wait and see how this entire scene played out.

"Pirates," the leader repeated after a moment. Killer felt rather surprised as a large grin came to the man's face. "It's been a long time since we've had any visitors to our island, let alone pirates. Men, put down your arms." Watching as the rest of the natives fell into a relaxed stance and started talking with one another, Killer couldn't help but feel puzzled.

"Heh," Kidd said with a grin as Killer felt their own crew relax around them, "you're an odd bunch. Most people run in terror at pirates."

At this, the leader threw back his head and let out a deep laugh from his gut. "Grahahaha! Well, around here we're a bit different -anyone who's not affiliated with the World Government is welcome!"

* * *

><p>Well, there is the new and improved chapter four.<p>

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